Cigarette parcelling machine



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United States Patent O 3,527,366 CIGARETTE PARCELLING MACHINE Golredo Gamberini, Bologna, Italy, assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 685,743 Int. Cl. B65g 57/30 U.S. Cl. 214--6 5 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE System for stacking and grouping packs, or the like, with storage unit and automatic recirculation, particularly suitable for feeding parcelling machines, or the like.

The subject of the present invention is a system for stacking and grouping packs, or the like, particularly cigarette packs which connects many packers, operating in parallel, with a single parceller, which handles the production of all the packers connected with it.

The purpose of the invention is to ensure a considerable elasticity in the connection between the packers and parceller, in particular it permits the packers to continue operating, even if the parceller stops for a short while, without having to eliminate the packs produced by the packers while the parceller is inoperative.

For this purpose the invention provides a system that includes the following:

A group of stackers, the number of which corresponds to that of the packers. Each of these stackers is fed by a packer and forms successive stacks with the packs received from the respective packer. Each of these stackers has a determined number of packs.

A grouping device fed by the stackers and suitable for forming groups of many successive stacks of packs.

A conveyor, preferably intermittent, for example of the chain type, with pushing paddles, which feeds a parcel- 1er with the successive groups of stacks of packs formed by the stacker. Feeding occurs in such a way as to leave an empty space on the conveyor between the successive groups of stacks. Preferably, by using a chain type conveyor with paddles, a number of stacks, lower by at least one unit than the maximum number of stacks that fit in between the two paddles of the conveyor, is introduced between the two successive paddles of this conveyor.

A stack recirculating device which, periodically picks up from the conveyor an entire group of stacks and recirculates it for placing the stacks of said group, at least one at a time, on the conveyor in the empty spaces between the single successive groups of stacks initially fed to said conveyor. By so doing, if between the two successive paddles of the conveyor there can be accommodated n successive stacks of packs, and if between these two paddles n-l stacks of successive packs are initially fed, that is, an empty space is left corresponding to only one stack of packs, the recirculating device picks up an entire group of stacks from the conveyor every n steps of the conveyor itself and returns to the conveyor a stack upstream of the pickup point at every step of said conveyor, thus filling up the empty spaces between the successive paddles.

A movable storage unit, for example, of the continuous chain type with trays, located in the area of the recirculating device. When the parceller is stationary', the groups of stacks carried by the parceller is stationary. The groups of stacks carried by the parceller feeding conveyor are transferred to the movable storage unit which advances one step after receiving each group of stacks. Thus, the groups of stacks accumulate in the storage unit where they wait for the parceller. During the time the groups of stacks are transferred from the conveyor to the rice storage unit the periodical recirculation of the groups of stacks can be stopped or can preferably continue, so as to complete the groups of stacks initially fed to the conveyor and to ensure that complete groups of stacks are transferred to the storage unit.

When the parceller starts operating again the normal recirculation of the groups of stacks is interrupted, that is, the periodical pickup of a group of stacks from the parceller feed conveyor is interrupted, and the groups of stacks initially fed to the conveyor are completed by picking up the stacks 0f packs from the movable storage unit. For this purpose the storage unit is actuated in the opposite direction and thus returns the groups of pack stacks to the parceller feed conveyor until it is emptied. After the storage unit has been emptied, the recirculation device will resume normal operation by picking up a group of stacks from the parceller feed conveyor.

It is to be noted that the grouping and stacking system according to the invention, although designed in particular for cigarette packs, can be used for any other objects. Therefore, even if in this description and the following claims the term packs indicating the objects to be stacked, grouped and fed to the parceller, is used for claritys sake, it is understood that the invention is not limited exclusively to packs, and the more so to cigarette packs, but that these packs can be substituted, for example, also by boxes or even by objects without any wrapper.

The particular features of the invention and the resulting advantages will be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment, illustrated schematically as a non-limiting example in the attached drawings, in the particular application of the invention to a cigarette pack grouping and stacking system.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 and lcz show a plan view of a grouping and stacking system according to the invention; FIG. la is the continuation of FIG. l according to line 1-1;

FIGS. 2. and 2a show a side elevation of the same system and sectional view of the parts; FIG. 2a is the continuation of FIG. 2 from line 11-11;

FIG. 3 shows a side elevation view of the conveyor which feeds the groups of stacks to the parceller;

FIG. 4 shows the device which transfers the groups of stacks from the parceller feed conveyor to the movable storage unit. This is a vertical section from line IV-IV of FIG. la;

FIG. 5 shows the movable storage unit actuator; this is a side view along line V-V 0f FIG. la;

FIG. 6 shows the device which recovers the groups of stacks from the storage unit and returns them to the parceller feed conveyor-this is a vertical section along line VI-VI of FIG. 1a.

With reference to the figures, tem 1 indicates an automatic parcelling machine which forms parcels, each made up of a group A of a certain number of cigarette pack stacks P. In the illustrated embodiment, each group A is composed of six stacks P while each stack P consists of five packs, but these numbers can obviously change in any manner.

Parceller 1 has a higher production rate than the maximum one of the respective feeding system according to the invention and initiates automatically its parcel forming cycles when it is fed with a suliicient number of stacks to make the parcel. Consequently, no synchronism is required between the operation of parceller 1 and the respective feeding system according to the invention since the speed of the parceller increases in accordance with the higher number of stacks conveyed to it.

Parceller 1 is fed by a certain number of packers (not illustrated) for instance by six packers in the illustrated embodiment. The cigarette packs produced by each packer J are conveyed, oneafter the other, to the grouping and stacking system according to the invention through a pneumatic conveyor. p

The grouping and stacking system comprises a belt conveyor 2 (FIGS. 1, la, 2, 2a), subdivided in several tracks 102, the number of which corresponds to that of the packers connected with parceller 1. Pipes 3 which can be of the pneumatic conveyor type extend from the packers, each pipe terminates at a point above a track 102 of belt conveyor 2. More precisely, each of the tracks 102 joins tangentially one of the tracks 104 into which a rst belt conveyor 4 is subdivided, a track 102 of the belt conveyor 2 being provided on the extension of each track 104 of belt conveyor 4. The cigarette packs Iwhich arrive through pipes 3, are delivered on tracks 104 of the pneumatic conveyor 4 and then proceed on tracks 102 of belt conveyor 2.

Between belt conveyor 4 of the pneumatic conveyor and the next belt conveyor 2 there is provided a trap door S (FIGS. 1, 2) which is normally closed and can be opened automatically, for example `by means of an electromagnetic control 6, when the parceller stops for a longer time than is required for filling completely the storage unit which the system, according to the invention is equipped with, as will be better seen later on. When the trap door S opens, the cigarette packs coming from the packers and conveyed by end conveyor 4 of the pneumatic conveyor fall into an underlying container 60.

The tracks 102 of the belt conveyor 2 feed the cigarette packs to a stacker 7 which forms said packs, in the area of each track 102, into a stack P composed of a certain number of superimposed packs (five in the illustrated embodiment). This stacker (FIGS. 1a, 2a) comprises, at the end of each track of belt conveyor 2, a plate 8 movable vertically, on which the packs conveyed by belt 2 are transferred. After each pack is deposited on plate 8, said plate lifts up introducing the pack in a stack forming pocket (not illustrated) wherein appropriate elements hold the pack during the subsequent relowering of plate 8. After plate 8 has been raised a number of times corresponding to the number of single superimposed packs forrning the stack P, a plunger 9, provided at a certain height from belt conveyor 2, transfers the formed stack P to a conveyor 10 feeding parceller 1.

Conveyor 10 is of the chain type 110 provided with dragging paddles 210 and moves intermittently by steps. That is, each dragging paddle 210 stops upstream of stacker 7 and of respective plungers 9 and remains stationary until stacks P are transferred on conveyor 10 in front of paddle 210. Then, chain 110 of conveyor 10 moves in the direction of arrow F (FIGS. la and 3) by such a step, as to move said paddle 210 with stacks P downstream of stacker 7, while the following paddle 210 stops upstream of said stacker 7. Along conveyor 10 there are provided side guides 12 (FIG. la), so adjustable as to be adapted to various pack sizes, as well as Abraking brushes 13 (FIG. 1a) to prevent stacks P from overturning during the deceleration phases.

The distance between successive paddles 2110 of conveyor 10 is so chosen as to enable seven pack stacks P to be accommodated between two paddles. Since, however, plungers 9 of stacker 7 transfer each time on conveyor `10, only six stacks P, there is provided downstream of stacker 7 between two consecutive paddles 210 of conveyor 10 a group G made of six stacks P, close to each other, of which the last stands against the rear paddle 210, while in front of said 'group G of stacks, there is, between it and the front paddle 210 an empty space for accommodating another pack stack P. The intermittent conveyor 10 is aligned and linked to continuous parceller infeed conveyor 14, consisting of a pair of lower continuous belts 16 and an analogous pair of upper continuous belts 15. The distance from stacker 7 to the inlet of conveyor 14 corresponds to a certain number of steps of the intermittent conveyor (four steps in the illustrated embodiment). Each pair of paddles 210 assumes, therefore, in such section, a certain number of successive positions, in each of which it stops for a certain time. The irst of these positions or stations is` indicated with S1 in FIG. la and is in front of stacker 7. IIt transfers on conveyor 10 groups G of six stacks P, as previously described. In a subsequent station, for example, in the second position S2 of the pair of paddles 2.10, a stack P, recirculated as will be better described later on, isV transferred on to conveyor 10 at point R. Said recirculated stack P, is introduced into the empty space left in front of group G of six stacks existing between two consecutive paddles 210', as previously described. From this point onward, there is therefor a group G1 of seven pack stacks P between two consecutive paddles 210 of intermittent conveyor 10, as it appears evident from FIGS. 1a-3.

In a subsequent station S4 (the fourth in the illustrated embodiment), while the parceller is operating and consequently while the respective feeding system is normally operating, at each seventh step of intermittent conveyor 10, a group G1 of seven stacks P is picked up from said conveyor 10 and transferred to a recirculating device 17, which returns said group G1 of stacks P and picks up from same at each step of conveyor 10, one stack P at a time, which is put again on conveyor 10 at point R of station S2, to join group G of six stacks P and form group G1 of seven stacks P. During the normal operation of parceller 1 and of the relative feeding system, conveyor 10 does not introduce at each seventh step, any group G1 of stacks P into parceller 1, that is, every seventh space between paddles 210' is empty. This, however, is not important for the operation of the parceller, because, as previously noted, the parceller is separately driven and starts its own cycles automatically when it is fed with a sufficient munber of pack stacks P.

For the above purpose, there is provided in station S4 a transfer plunger 18, moving forward and backward transversally to intermittent paddle type conveyor 10. Near and along conveyor 10, on the side opposite to plunger 18, there is provided a recovering conveyor 19, similar to chain conveyor 1110 and provided with dragging paddles 219 (FIGS. 1a, 3 and 6). Recovering conveyor 119 moves intermittently in the opposite direction as compared to feeding conveyor 10, that is, backward, in the direction of arrow F1 of FIGS. la and 6, and is synchronized with conveyor -10 and with the same step of the latter. By so doing, when a pair of consecutive paddles 210 of conveyor 10 stops, together with group G1 of stacks P, in station S4, a pair of consecutive paddles 219 of recovering conveyor 19 stops in the same station S4. Plunger 18 moves from its retracted position, outside of conveyor 10, transversally to conveyor I10` towards recovering conveyor 19 alongside and thus transfers on the latter, between the respective pair of paddles 219, group G1 of stacks carried so far by conveyor 10'. Then, plunger 18 returns to its retracted position outside of conveyor 10, prior that the latter moves another step forward.

On the side of recovering conveyor 19 opposite to conveyor 10 and in front of plunger 18, there is provided a movable and adjustable wall 20 (FIG. 4) which prevents any deformation of stacks P and stops them in a correct position in relation to recovering conveyor 19.

The actuation of the intermittent conveyor 19 as obtained by means of a Maltese Cross from which is derived, through an electromagnetic coupling (not illustrated) the movement of recovering conveyor 19, reversed as compared to that of conveyor 10. Said electromagnetic coupling is normally disengaged. It is engaged automatically every seven steps of the feeding conveyor 10, with a suitable advance or delay in respect to the displacement of plunger 18. By so doing, before or after it has received a new group G1 of stacks, the recovering conveyor 19 advances one step in the direction of arrow F1 (backward in relation to conveyor 10) and introduces group G1 of stacks previously or just received into another continuous conveyor 22, consisting of an upper pair of endless belts 23 and of a lower pair of endless belts 24 (FIGS. la and 3). Said continuous conveyor 22 is aligned with intermittent recovering conveyor 19 and extends alongside feeding conveyor up to station S2 Where stacks P are recirculated. Near the end of continuous conveyor 22, at point R where stacks P are reintroduced into conveyor 10, there is provided a fixed block against which stacks P, dragged by conveyor 22, stop. A pluinger 26 is provided in front of stop block 25. Said plunger moves forward and backward transversally to conveyor 22 and in synchronism with intermittent feeding conveyor 10. After each step of conveyor 10, plunger 26 moves forward and transfers the first stack P, which is at a standstill against stop 25, from conveyor 22 to conveyor 10, thus completing the group G of six packs and forming the group G1 of seven stacks as described previously.

A storage unit 27 is provided at station S4, into which are transferred groups G1 of stacks P fed by conveyor 10, when parceller 1 stops for a short time, while the packers go on producing the cigarette packs.

`Storage unit 27 consists of two parallel endless chains 28, running side by side, preferably of the roller type. These chains are moved on suitable toothed wheels 29 of which one has driving functions and is operated by steps in any suitable manner, for instance by means of a Maltese Cross 30 (FIG. 5) which is in turn driven in synchronism with conveyor 10 by means of a suitable reversing mechanism, which enables the pair of chains 28 to move at will in either directions. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, Maltese Cross 30, integral with a pair of toothed wheels 29 for the pair of chains 28, is actuated by handwheel 31 which is coupled to shaft 33 by means of bevel gears 32. Shaft 33 can be coupled alternately and at will, by means of two couplings 34, 35 to one or the other of the two conical wheels 134, .135 which mesh in two diametrally opposed positions with a conical wheel 36 and rotate therefore in opposite directions. The conical wheel 36 is actuated, by means of gears 37, by shaft 38 from which is derived the forward motion by steps of conveyor 10. The two couplings or clutches 34, 35 can be coupled alternatively with any drive, for example, electromagnetic, and both can also be declutched at the same time, in order to stop the movement of the pair of chains 28.

Open trays 39 are fastened to chain 28; each tray is suitable for containing a group G1 of stacks P. Trays 39 are preferably of plastic material. The rollers of chains 28 move in sturdy guides 40, interconnected by cross bars 41. Guides 40 and cross bars 41 form the carrying structure of the movable storage unit which consists of the pair of chains 28 with trays 39. The pair of chains 28 can have any path (horizontal, vertical, inclined or mixed), in order to use the available space in the best way. In the sections where the open part of the trays 39 faces downward, guiding plates 43 are provided which support groups G1 of stacks in trays 39 and prevent them from falling.

In any case, the tray chain 28, 29 of the storage unit 27 has such a path as to pass in station S4 horizontally and transversally over recovering conveyor 19 of recirculating device 17, in the area of transfer plunger 18 with the open part of the trays 39 facing downward, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

At this point, an elevator 42 is provided under the recovering conveyor 19 of recirculating device 17. Said elevator is liable to pass between chains 119 into conveyor 19 and to lift the group G1 of stacks transferred by means of plunger 18 from conveyor 10 to 19, introducing said group G1 of stacks in the overlying tray 39 of the movable storage unit.

Normally, during the regular operation of parceller 1, elevator 42 is low and the pair of chains 28 with trays 39 of storage unit 27 is stationary, since both couplings 34, 35 have been disengaged, giving rise to the above described operation, that is, the feed of groups G1 of stacks to parceller 1 by means of conveyor 10 and the transfer of a group G1 of stacks to the recirculating device 17 by means of plunger 18 at each seventh step of conveyor 10.

In case of a temporary stopping of parceller .1, cigarette pack feed from the packers to conveyor 10 is not interrupted, but the successive groups G1 of stacks carried by conveyor 10 instead of proceeding to the parceller, are transferred, one after the other, into storage unit 27. For this purpose, after each step of conveyor 10, group G1 of stacks is transferred by plunger 18, from conveyor 10 on conveyor 19 of recirculating device 17. Conveyor 19 remains, however, stationary and the group G1 of stacks which has been transferred on to it, is lifted by the elevator 42 and introduced in the overlying tray 39 of movable storage unit, which remains stationary during this operation and then advances immediately one step in the direction of the arrow F2 (FIG. 4) carrying another empty tray 39 on the elevator 42. During this forward step of the storage unit, the elevator remains for a short while up, thus supporting the group G1 of stacks until it gets on supporting plate 43. Subsequently, elevator 42 gets down to receive and lift the following group G1 of stacks, lwhich has been transferred by plunger 18 from conveyor 10 on conveyor 19. The operation is repeated for six consecutive forward steps of conveyor 10 while at the seventh step of conveyor 10, elevator 42 and the storage unit remain stationary and the group G1 of stacks, which has been transferred by plunger 18 to recovering conveyor 19 of recirculating device 17 is caused to move from the conveyor 19 on to the following continuous conveyor 22 and taken to the recirculating station S2 of stacks P. While parceller 1 is stationary, the coupling for the actuation of transferring plunger 18 is therefore continuously engaged and said plunger 18 moves forward and backward after each step of the feeding conveyor .10. When parceller 1 starts operating again, plunger 18 stops and the pair of chains 28 with trays 39 of the movable storage unit is actuated in the reverse direction, that is, opposite to arrow F. 2 (FIG. 4) thus taking trays 39 with a group G1 of stacks, one after the other, on elevator 42 which, with a reverse motion as compared to the previously described one, transfers these groups G1 of stacks from trays 39 of storage unit 27 onto the underlying recovering conveyor 19. By so doing, groups G1 of stacks P are returned, one after the other, by storage unit 27 to the recirculating device 17 which transfers stacks vP on to conveyor 10, as already described, until storage unit 27 is completely emptied. During this phase of operation of the system, during which stacks P recirculated on feed conveyor 10 are picked up by groups G1 returned by storage unit 27,

while plunger 18 in station S4 remains stationary, all the spaces between paddles 210 of conveyor 10 are full; in other words, each one contains a group G1 of seven stacks. The parceller is then fed with a number of stacks P greater than the normal one. However, this is not important, because, as previously said, the parceller has a production rate equal to or higher than the maximum one of the respective feeding system and begins its own automatic parcel forming cycles when it is fed with a sufficient number of stacks P.

After storage unit 27 has been completely emptied, that is, when all the stacks P of packages accumulated in it have been returned to conveyor 10 by means of recirculating device 17, storage unit 27 and elevator 42 stop, While plunger 18 starts up again and transfers at every 7 steps of the conveyor 10, a group G1 of stacks to the recirculating device 17, as previously described.

When, in case parceller 1 stops, storage unit 27 is filled up completely before the parceller 1 starts operating again, solenoid 6 controlling trap door 5 located 7 between belt conveyor 4 of the pneumatic conveyor and the next belt conveyor 2, is energized. Trap door 5 is thus opened and the oncoming cigarette packs fall into container 60.

Both in the phase of introduction of groups G1 of stacks into storage unit 27 and in the phase of return and recovery of said groups G1 of stacks, an oscillating element 44 (FIG. 4), the initial position of which is determined through asolenoid by the direction of motion of the storage unit, remains in contact with the upper packages of group G1 of stacks, lifted or lowered by elevator 42, thus preventing the deformation or the overturning of the stacks during their transfer.

The movements of the various parts of the system, their synchronism and automation can be obtained through any control means, in general, electrical, evident to the technicians of the branch and consequently not better illustrated and described.

From the above it is also evident that the invention is not limited to the embodiment which has been described and illustrated but that great changes and modifications may be made, mainly as regards construction, without however, departing from the spirit of the invention as dened by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A system for stacking and grouping cigarette packs or the like from a plurality of packers and for feeding said groups to a single parcelling machine comprising a pneumatic conveyance system, a terminal belt coupled to receive packs from said pneumatic conveyance system, a belt conveyor having multiple tracks coupled to feed a stacker, a trap door interposed between said terminal belt and said belt conveyor, means associated with each of the packing machines for stacking a predetermined number of packs made thereon, means for grouping a predetermined number of stacks, intermittent conveyor means for moving said grouped stacks to a parceller, means for removing a group of stacked packs from said conveyor prior to reaching said parcel-ler, storage means for holding said removed groups and means for returning one or more stacks of said removed groups to said conveyor to add to said conveyed group said returned stacks, said trap door being opened automatically when said storage means is completely full.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the means for returning stacks comprises a recovery conveyor which runs parallel to said intermittent conveyor and moves in a direction opposite thereto, said recovery conveyor extending from the point where said stacks are removed from the conveyor to the point Where they are returned to the conveyor and include plunger means for transferring said packs from one conveyor to another.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the recovery conveyor comprises a second .intermittent conveyor with endless chains and dragging paddles and a successive continuous conveyor with pairs of belts at the end of which there is a stop block and a transverse plunger which transfers one stack at a time to said intermittent conveyor means for moving grouped stacks to a parceller.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein the storage unit is made up of a pair of chains that carry open trays, each one suitable for containing a group of stacks, said chains having a path so as to index in onedirection after the introduction of a group of stacks in a tray in the loading phase of the storage unit or in another direction after a group of stacks has been extracted from a tray in the recovery phase.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein the pair of chains with trays extends horizontally above the recovering belt with the trays having their opening facing downwards and adjustable one after another above an elevator which is suitable for raising a group of stacks from the recovering conveyor and for introducing it into the overlying tray of the movable storage unit and vice-versa.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,413,979 11/1947 Lamb. 3,463,330 8/1969 Roberts 271-86 X 2,814,397 11/1957 Connell. 3,092,266 6/ 1963 De Koning. 3,122,229 2/ 1964 Engleson et al. 3,171,550 3/1965 Gajdostik et al. 3,342,350 9/1967 Seragnoli. 3,360,100 12/1967 Seragnoli. 3,442,401 5/1969 Wolfe et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 926,776 5/1963 Great Britain.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner R. I. SPAR, Assistant Examiner U.`S. Cl. X.R. 

